Vehicle body



Sept. 19, 1944.

F. D. ROSE VEHICLE BODY Filed-June 2, 1942- 2 sheets-sheet 1 mh. Wh.

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F. D. ROSE VEHICLE BODY Sept. 19, 1944.

Filed June 2, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 19, 1944 Frank D. Rose, Pasaden `mount Acceptance C a corporation cfg-Cali Application June 2, 1942,seria1No.`445,431

a, Calif., assignor to Paraorporation,

Hynes, Calif.,

fornia 9 Claims. (Cl. 280-5) My invention has to do with cargo carriers and,

in its more particular aspects, it involves improvements in freight transporting vehicles.

It is a well known fact that at present tank trucks such as are commonly used for transporting gasoline and other liquids have to return empty after delivering their load, which results in great inefficiency and expense. In my copending application Serial No. 316,968, filed February 2, 1940, now forfeited, I have shown a vehicle construction for adapting such trucks for twoway hauls, that is, after the liquid load is delivered, the truck may be converted into a cargo carrier for other types of freight. In some of its aspects, my present invention is a continuation in part of the subject matter of my said copending application.

It is among the principal objects of my invention to provide a tank vehicle comprising means for its utilization as a carrier of non-liquid freight whereby to render it possible to achieve a two-way pay load.

It is a further object to provide a vehicle of this character which involves novel and eicient means for firmly supporting the tank element when it is elevated to provide such a cargo space.

Another object is the provision, in a vehicle of this character, of utilizing means for controlling the elevating and lowering of the tank element with respect to the vehicle bed whereby to compensate for any inequalities in load distribution in the tank element.

Other objects and advantages which contribute' to practicability and usefulness are inherent in my invention and how those as well as the foregoing specically mentioned objects are achieved will be best understood from the following detailed description bodiment of the invention, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the tank element elevated with respect tothe vehicle bed, some parts being shown in elevation, one of the side plates being removed and one end gate being against the iioor for illustrative purposes;

Fig. 2 is a rear (left) end view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front-(right) end view showing the tank in lowered position; and

Fig 4 is a fragmentary plan View taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I show a trailer having a chassis or body 5 conventionally mounted on running gear 6 and having at its front end a coupling member 1 for connection to a pulling truck, not shown. It will be understood of course that my invention of one presently preferred emberl I8d. Jacks maybe'4 equally Well incorporated in a self-propelled truck rather than in a trailer as shown. A iioor 8 is mounted `on the bed in the usual manner. v'Through' the floor and in the bed, adjacent the ends, I provide sockets IQ, I I, Illa, IIa forthe purpose to be described.

I' show at I5 a tank having the usual loading dome I 6. The tank is mountedl on telescopic jacks' I8, I9 of well -known construction secured at v.theirbottom ends to'thebed by brackets I8', I9. and secured at theirtop ends to the respective endsjfof the tank. YJacks I8 vare secured to the tank Lbyhav'ing their top end sections Ia secured toa transverse plate 18h, which plate is pivotally secured to a bracket'lc by pivot mem- IS are secured to the rear end of the tank by. having their top sections I9a welded or otherwisesecured to the tank end. Thus the tankihas a three-point mounting tov prevent injuryor distortion from torsional stresses. While hydraulically or otherwiseV operablejacks may be employed, I here shown the jacks I8, I9 as beingY pneumatically operated from a compressed air. tank 20secured to the bed, through air lines 22 'controlled by valve 25; For charging tank 20, I showfalling jtube 26 controlled by a check valve 21 seating away from the tank.

At eachend of the vehicle I mount an' end gate 30, 3I carried by posts 32, 33, said gates being hingedly secured tothe bed in the following manner. At the lower endofieach of the posts 32, I provide a reduced projection 35 connected tothe end of the post by hinge means 36 andV at theend of each of the posts 33 I provide an integralreduced projection 31.` Projections 35 t intosockets I0, sockets Illa, IIa.

A brace 40 is hingedly connected at 4I to each I e'ndgate, there being one of these bracesat each corner' of thevehicle. longitudinally of the bed and at the lower end o'f each brace I provide a ilange 42 which is detachably secured to the bed by a bolt 43 or in any other suitable manner.

Adjacent the respective .ends of the tank, on

itsrunder side, I secure Va support bracket 45, 46

which, when the tank is elevated (Figs. 1 and 2) restupon the respective end gates being `positioned thereon by pins 41, the head of each of which pins is secured, as by welding, to the top flange Yof-an end gate and projecting upwardly through a hole in tering hole provided in the adjacent support bracket; When the'tank is in its' elevated posi-V tion, 'acargo space VS is provided between the i II and projections 31 nt intol Each brace is disposed said flange as` Well 'as a regisagainst the top edge of 2 bottom of the tank and the floor, and the end gates are upright, being longitudinally braced on the frame by the braces 40.

To lower the end gates preparatory to lowering the tank, the tank is elevated somewhat above its normally supported elevated position sufficiently to permit brackets 4'5, 46 to be lifted from pins 41 and to permit the posts 32, 33 to be pulled upwardly from their sockets far enough to remove the hinge of each post 32 from its socket and each projection 31 from its socket, after which the posts are placed flatly against the floor as shown in the 1. When the tank is in its lowered position (Fig. 3) its brackets 45, 46 rest against the outer face of the end gates resting on the floor,l medialA transverse brackets 41a being secured to the bottom of the tank to provide support for the medial portion of the tank.

Side plates 50, 5l to the bed byposts 52, which are made detachable by providing projections 53 at .the bottom ends of the posts and detachably fitting those projections in corresponding sockets in the bed.` When in its lowered position, the tank rests between the side plates 5f),A 5.1 unless it be desired to remove the side plates. Plates 50, 5| are shown as being in two sections.

In operating the pneumatic jacks tolift the tank from the position of Fig. 3 to the position` of Fig. l, it frequently occurs that the weight distribution is unequal as between the ends of the tank, which causes one end of the tank tor tend to rise faster than the opposite end which, if not controlled, would cause jamming. I overcome this difficulty by the equalizing means now tobe described.

Transversely of the bed 5, I journal a shaft 60 which carries a pair of drums 5l, 61a around which respective cables 62,63 are windable in opposite directions, the otherl ends of therespective cables being secured to the respective ends of the tank at 64 after passing through tubes 65, 66, so that as the tank is elevated the cables rotate shaft 60 and unwind from the respective drums in opposite directions. I'secure to shaft 60 a brake drum 10 around which I mount a brakev band 1I, the ends of the band being resiliently drawn together to brake the drum by means of spring 61 mounted on pin 68, which pin extends through registering holes in the flanged ends, of the band and carries a threaded adjusting nut 69 at one end for adjusting the tension ofthe spring. For rewinding the cables about the drums as the tank is being lowered, I provide a crank 14 secured to an end of the shaft. Brakf ing pressure applied to the shaft 60 equalizes the rate of unwinding of the cables from the shaft.

In operation, for instance for the going trip,v

the tank I5 is lowered to the position of Fig. 3, in which it rests against the end gates, the end gates being then placed flatly against the floor. In this position the vehicle is primarily a tank car or truck. After the liquid cargo has been, discharged at its destination, the tank may be elevated to a point` slightly. above the position of Figs. 1 and 2 and their end projections being inserted in the corresponding sockets in the bed and the braces 40. secured to the body, lowered against. the end gates (the Figs. 1 and 3), where the brackets the end gates. In this be utilized for another positions of positionthe space S may cargo to be hauled on right hand end of Figa are shown as being securedl the end gates placed upright,

after which the tank is 4'5, 46 restV the return trip, the end.

gates 3|' and side plates 5|, 52 forming closures for the cargo space and the tank providing a cover therefor.

By the structure defined, it will be seen that when the tank is in elevated position it is rigidly supported vertically and against side sway by the end gates B, thus making it possible to relieve the pneumatic pressure on the jacks, and

Vthe tank is also securely braced by means of bination of a. bed, a

braces 40 to prevent any sway in a direction longitudinally of the bed.

y While I have resorted to considerable detail in describing these particular adaptations, I have done so only to make my invention clearly understandable. Other modifications and adaptations may be made within the broader scope of my invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of a bed, a tank movably mounted on the bed, hoist means operatively engaging the tank to. move it from a lowered position on thel bed' to an upper position spaced thereabove whereby to provide a cargo space therebetween, and support means, independent of the hoist, supportingly engaging the tank to maintain itin position spaced above the bed, said support means comprising end gates defining the ends of the caIgO space.

2. In a vehicle. of the class described, the corntank movably mounted on the bed, hoist means operatively engaging the tank to. move it from a lowered position on the` bed tok yan upper position spaced thereabove whereby to provide a cargo space therebetween, and support means, independent ofthe hoist, supportingly engaging the tank to, maintain it in position spaced above the bed, said support means. comprising end gates defining the ends ofzthe cargo space and beingV hingedly connectedA to, the bed wherebyto be swung into, position underlying the tank when thetank isy in lowered position.

3,. In a vehicleof the classdescribed, the combination of a bed, a. tank movably mounted. on the bed, hoist means operatively engaging, the tank at spacedV points therealong to. move it fromA a, lowered position to a positionv spaced above the bed, and; equalizing meansv so oper.- atively connected to the tank at spaced points therealong as to prevent one portion ofl the tank from moving at a speed-different from the speed of rnovement of another portion of the tank, said. last-mentioned means including a shaft, a pair ofIV cablesv windable about the shaft in opposite directionsr and. respectively connectedv to the tank at points spaced therealong and braking means engaging the shaft suciently to compensate for-'inequalitiesV in the pull exerted on the respective cables by virtue ofmovement of the tank by the hoist means.

4; In avehicle of the` class described, the combination of a bed, a tank having a rounded bottom, said tank being mounted' for movement perpendicular to the bed, endl brackets on the bottom of the tank presenting. straight bottom surfaces, jack members connected at one end to thev bed and at the other end to the respective ends of the tank whereby to movev the tank into position spaced above'the bed and. provide.

to provide support for the tank when the latter is in position spaced above the bed.

5. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of a bed, a tank having a rounded bottom, said tank being mounted for movement perpendicular to the bed, end brackets on the bottom of the tank presenting straight bottom surfaces, jack members connected at one end to the bed and at the other end to the respective ends of the tank whereby to move the tank into position spaced above the bed and provide a cargo space therebetween, closure members defining the ends of said cargo space, said closure members having top portions engaging the respective endbrackets on the tank whereby to provide supportl for the tank when the latter is in position spaced above the bed, and brace members extending from the upper portions of the closure members to the bed in a direction longitudinal of the bed.

6. In a vehicle Vof the class described, the combination of a bed, a tank movably mounted on the bed, hoist means operatively engaging the tank to move it from a, lowered position on the bed to an upper position spaced thereabove whereby to provide a cargo space therebetween, and side and end closure members carried by the bed and forming a. closure Ifor the sides and ends of the cargo space, said end closure mem- Y bers providing direct support for the tank when in its upper position and said side closure providing a housing for the tank when in lowered position. f

7. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of a bed, a tank movably mounted on the bed, hoist means operatively engaging the tank to move it from a lowered position on the bed to an upper position spaced thereabove Awhereby to provide a cargo space therebetween, andend gates carried by the bed and bearing at their top edges against the end portions of the tank whereby to provide the sole support for the tank when in its upper position.

8. In a vehicle of the class described, the cornbination of a bed, a tank, and hoist means for raising and lowering the tank with respect to the bed, said hoist means being'pivotally secured to one end portion of the tank and rigidly secured to the other end portion.

9. In a vehicle, the combination yof a bed, a tank mounted for movement perpendicular to the bed, means for so moving the tank comprising a hoist operatively engaging the tank, and means independent of the hoistY for supporting the tank in position above the bed, comprising a support member swingably mounted on the bed for movement from a horizontal position to a tank-supporting position perpendicular to the bed. f

FRANK D. ROSE.y 

